Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Angolan president on Friday expressed satisfaction at the end of the post-election conflict in Mozambique, hoping that “the black cloud” had passed and that the country could devote all its attention and energies to economic development.
João Lourenço, who was speaking to the press together with his counterpart from Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, at the end of the signing ceremony for five agreements between the two countries, said that a Technical Committee would monitor the implementation of these legal instruments signed yesterday, in the areas of transport, culture, social action and tourism.
“We’re going to try to get the agreements we’ve reached off the drawing board and into reality. We really need to move forward, to make progress, with the realisation of the agreements that the two countries have reached,” he said.
The Angolan head of state accepted an invitation from his Mozambican counterpart for an official visit to the country, with the date to be negotiated between the diplomats of both states.
In a speech in which he essentially emphasised the brotherhood between the two countries, João Lourenço recalled the difficult times that Angola and Mozambique have faced, from the struggle for independence to the various armed conflicts.
“We have in common the fact that we both took up arms to rescue the dignity of our two peoples,” stressed the Angolan head of state, emphasising that the two countries are celebrating 50 years of independence this year and calling for a “joint celebration”, on merit, since “it cost a lot of sweat and blood of the best sons of both Mozambique and Angola”.
After a long period, the Angolan president continued, in which the “defeated enemies” in 1975 mobilised to create instability in the two countries, a period of definitive peace was achieved, “which fortunately has lasted for 23 years”.
‘Our common struggle today is the struggle for economic and social development, so that our populations benefit from the potential wealth that our countries have,” said João Lourenço, in a statement to the press after the signing ceremony of the five legal instruments.
According to João Lourenço, the joint development struggle between Angola and Mozambique still has “many steps to be taken” before the two countries “feel fulfilled, satisfied”.
The Angolan head of state recalled that Mozambique, “unfortunately”, has encountered some difficulties in its economic and social development, due to the terrorism that has taken hold in the province of Cabo Delgado, and expressed the solidarity of “sister” countries and the Southern African Development Community ( SADC).
“More recently, Mozambique has also experienced a somewhat troubled post-election period. The same brothers as always have also shown solidarity with Mozambique and we hope that this dark cloud will have passed and that from now on Mozambique will be able to devote all its attention and energies only to what is fundamental, which is to deal with the country’s economic development,” he said.
This two-day visit to Angola by the President of Mozambique, according to João Lourenço, has one fundamental objective: to strengthen the bonds of friendship and co-operation between the two countries.
Daniel Chapo, who leaves Luanda on Saturday, was also scheduled to visit the Special Economic Zone yesterday to identify “investment and business opportunities to be developed in Angola,” and to take part in a dinner in his honour promoted by the Angolan Banking Association (ABANC).
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